T. Frank McCall’s Nears 150th Year: Longevity Accredited To Service, Dedicated Employees — And An Historic Building

By Harrell Kerkhoff
Maintenance Sales News Editor

It’s been said about professional and personal success — “To sustain longevity, you have to evolve.” Perhaps no truer words have ever described T. Frank McCall’s Inc., a jan/san distributorship located in Chester, PA, that is on the verge of celebrating its 150th anniversary. If that is not amazing enough, the company has been at the same location throughout that entire 150-year period.

That is not to say T. Frank McCall’s started out selling jan/san supplies. In fact, the vast majority of today’s cleaning products where not yet invented when the company began during the U.S. centennial year of 1876. At that time, there was arguably more demand for the type of products T. Frank McCall’s did provide 15 decades ago — feed and grain — as the country was largely an agrarian society, even in the Philadelphia, PA, region that includes Chester.
Today, feed and grain supplies have long been replaced at T. Frank McCall’s by away-from-home paper products, cleaning chemicals, floor equipment, safety supplies and other key items that traditionally make up a jan/san distributorship’s inventory — along with customer training and the experience of a seasoned and very dedicated staff. Interestingly, in a nod to the company’s roots, T. Frank McCall’s still sells seeds and small plants in its storefront during the spring. Customers look forward to it every year.
When asked to explain the distributorship’s great longevity, T. Frank McCall’s President Lisa Witomski was quick to respond: “As a company, we have never gone into debt. We have also focused very hard over the decades in providing quality customer service.”
She added: “There used to be many family businesses such as ours in the Philadelphia area, including those involved in distribution. Over the years, however, consolidation has taken place in all kinds of industries, resulting in the disappearance of many family businesses. That has often been due to a company getting into heavy debt and/or not having a next generation of family members to take over. Fortunately, that has not been the case with T. Frank McCall’s over the years.

“Being capable and willing to provide extraordinary customer service from one generation of employees to the next is also critical for a business to experience longevity.”

Indeed, a tagline on T. Frank McCall’s website reads: “Family owned for nearly 150 years, and we’re still answering the phone!”

“It’s amazing the number of customers who continually tell us how much they truly appreciate being able to call and actually talk with a live representative of our company,” Witomski said. “As a distributor of janitorial supplies, it’s very important to remember that we don’t sell luxury items. What we sell, however, are products that people need every day — and sometimes in a hurry. It’s easy, for example, to forget about ordering a case of toilet paper. However, it’s an item that a business cannot do without. When our customers call in a panic about getting such products, they don’t want to leave a message via voicemail.

“We also have the capability of delivering products on time thanks to our modern warehouse and dependable truck drivers. Sometimes, however, that focus on timely delivery requires actually getting into a car and taking something across town because a good customer needs that item ‘right now.’”

To make the latter point, Witomski tells the humorous story of a special delivery she made years ago at T. Frank McCall’s. The delivery involved transporting a box of 96-inch fluorescent lightbulbs to a customer’s location.

“At the time, I was driving a little red Triumph TR6. I could not fit that box of lightbulbs inside the car, so I taped the box to the car’s exterior, using construction tape so I would not damage my car’s finish. I’m sure I made quite an impression on everyone who saw what I was doing,” Witomski said, with a laugh.

Another key to T. Frank McCall’s long success over the years, according to Witomski, is the company’s traditional focus on providing “best in class” products.

“That is another way of saying, ‘We have never sold junk.’ Our company’s focus on providing quality customer service and quality products has allowed us to maintain key and longstanding relationships with many small to large customers,” Witomski said. “These are customers who value quality in both the products they receive, and the corresponding service given to them.”

A Long & Strong Presence

In 1876, a feed store was founded by George McCall at Sixth and Madison streets in Chester, just a few blocks from the Delaware River and midway between Philadelphia to the north and the Delaware state line to the south. The company was passed on to Geroge’s son, Thomas, in 1893, who changed its name to T. Frank McCall. After 30 years as owner, Thomas sold the business to his own sons, George and F. Willard. The two operated the company for many years under the name T. Frank McCall’s & Sons.
A big turning point for the company came fairly early in its history with the formation of nearby Scott Paper during the late 1800s.

“The Scott brothers opened a commercial paper mill near our facility and needed a close distributor. T. Frank McCall’s became that distributor,” Witomski said. “Needless to say, it must have opened a lot of doors for the McCall family. It helped that Scott Paper is often credited for being the first company to market toilet paper sold on a roll. Prior to that, toilet paper was sold in little packages.”
Soon the focus began to shift at T. Frank McCall’s from being a grain and feed store to one that distributed a growing line of cleaning supplies.

In 1957, after three generations of McCall family ownership, the business was sold to Edmund and Charles Witomski. The two brothers kept the original name of the company but incorporated the business. Its official name remains T. Frank McCall’s, Inc.
Edmund passed away in 1974, leaving Charles to run the business on his own. Eventually, Charles’ daughters, Marcie and Lisa, took over operations at the company, which now includes Marcie’s two children — Office Manager Lisa Claire Witomski and Warehouse Manager Chas Wiley. Both joined the company in 2018.

Charles Witomski passed away in 2005 and since that time T. Frank McCall’s has been women-owned and operated. Today, the business remains a leading janitorial and building maintenance supply firm in the Delaware Valley. Its service region includes Bethlehem, PA, to the north; Princton, NJ, to the east; Lancaster County, PA, to the west; and southern New Jersey, northern Maryland and the entire state of Delaware to the south.

“Our company’s physical location is important as we are at the crossroads of the Mid-Atlantic states. That includes being approximately 15 minutes from the state lines of New Jersey and Delaware as well as the center of Philadelphia,” Lisa Witomski said.

The distributorship is also close to I-476, known locally as “the Blue Route,” a 132.1-mile auxiliary interstate highway of I-76. The Blue Route runs between I-95 near Chester and I-81 near Scranton, serving as the primary north-south interstate corridor through eastern Pennsylvania.

“Such access allows our company’s trucks to reach a variety of destinations in a timely manner. We also operate a modern and fully computerized 50,000-square-foot warehouse that is racked ‘five high,’” Witomski said.

As mentioned, product lines at T. Frank McCall’s involve jan/san-related cleaning equipment and supplies, food service disposables, packaging and shipping material, and health care items.

“We also offer a full line of environmentally friendly products,” Witomski said. “We customize our products and services to fit our customers’ needs. We are always available to assist customers in selecting the right products for their high standards and offer prompt delivery and exceptional customer service. Our goal is to achieve the solutions that are right for our customers.”

Despite all the changes that have taken place at T. Frank McCall’s over the soon-to-be 150 years, one constant has remained — the company’s original building at the corner of Sixth and Madison streets in Chester.

“We have the original deed to the building, which was paid off in five years by the McCall family. It’s an interesting document, several pages long and handwritten,” Witomski said. “In 1876, this location was still in a rural area, with the nearby Delaware River serving as a main travel artery. That remains true, although modern roads in the area have greatly transformed how people get around today.”

One thing that has not changed, however, is the importance of the company’s original building — still serving a key purpose at T. Frank McCall’s. It is here that the company’s main offices remain.

“When my father and uncle bought the property in the 1950s, the original facility’s warehouse had a dirt floor and there was still a horse stable on the property,” Witomski said. “Several additions have taken place since that time. Our entire location now takes up a city block and includes a store and modern warehouse.”

Like many family-run companies, Witomski started working for her father early in life, often coming in during the summer and holidays to find something to do.

“I think I started taking inventory when I was eight,” she said, again with a laugh. “Eventually, I received an undergraduate degree from George Washington University and a graduate degree in business from Michigan State University. I then worked for several years in the marketing department at Pillsbury, in Minneapolis, MN, before joining my father again at T. Frank McCall’s. I became president of the company in 1995.

“Running a family business is kind of like a marriage — sometimes it’s really tough and other times it’s wonderful. I have now been with T. Frank McCall’s for 40 years, and during that time we, as a company, have tackled all types of challenges but have always worked together to continue growing the business.”

Witomski added a big part of any company’s longevity involves its employee base. Needless to say, after nearly 150 years in operation, T. Frank McCall’s has benefited from the efforts of many talented and dedicated employees.

“It’s always hard to find good people to hire, but once you do, it’s important to do everything possible to retain them,” she said.

“Many of our employees stay for a very long time and often retire here. People generally will stay at a company if they feel respected and are provided with a pleasant and rewarding place to work. It also does not hurt to offer fabulous benefits, which we do. That includes health care coverage for our employees and their families as well as a 200 percent match involving our employees’ 401(k) plans.”

Witomski added there is a lot to know when it comes to selling (and properly using) various types of cleaning chemicals, paper products, floor equipment and everything else needed to keep away-from-home facilities well maintained. Therefore, both employee and customer training programs are provided at T. Frank McCall’s.

“The training process is constant for both our employees and customers. It’s an area of business that any good distributorship in this industry will provide,” Witomski said. “When it comes to cleaning, labor is always the largest expense for customers. Therefore, it’s important that we provide the best products, systems and training for them to succeed in keeping their labor costs down. It’s a large part of our service offering that customers greatly appreciate.”

The distributorship also relies on its manufacturer suppliers to provide innovative products and solutions. The goal at T. Frank McCall’s is to receive help in enhancing the overall operation of each customer’s facility, often focusing on increased productivity rates and better sustainability capabilities.

“It’s always beneficial when suppliers respond to our needs, as a distributorship, with the same level of service that we provide our customers,” Witomski explained. “We look for suppliers who still focus on providing quality customer service involving human interaction.”

Seated is President Lisa Witomski. Pictured in back row, from left, are Warehouse Manager Chas Wiley, a portrait of the late Charles Witomski, and Office Manager Lisa Claire Witomski. (Photo by Kristin Curley)

Reaching A Milestone & Looking Ahead

T. Frank McCall’s path to success has taken many turns since its early days 150 years ago as a feed and grain supplier. For much of its history, the company’s focus on cleaning supplies has proven to be beneficial for all types of customers and facilities. That work will continue at the distributorship.

“It’s never been easy to keep facilities clean, and there remains a lot of bad information in the marketplace. Our job is to help end-customers succeed with the right products and systems, along with proper training to keep their labor costs down,” Witomski said.

“The hard truth is people make messes. Therefore, as long as humans visit, work, study and live in facilities, there will be a need for quality distributors.

“People also tend to have short memories and often fall back on bad habits. For example, I have seen the focus on using hand sanitizer decrease since the days of the recent pandemic, yet such a product remains important. It’s therefore our job to educate customers about the proper use and availability of key products while they maintain different away-from-home settings.”

Having spent a large part of her life in jan/san distribution, Witomski remains bullish about the industry and future career opportunities that will be available in the years ahead.

“This is definitely a people business and never boring. As an industry, we provide products and services that our customers truly need. We all work hard at T. Frank McCall’s to make sure our customers succeed — and have a lot of fun doing so,” she said. “It’s always rewarding when we receive positive feedback and hear from people seeking our advice.

“For example, I recently attended an event at a local airport and was approached by the facility’s head of maintenance. He looked at me and said, ‘I’m so glad to see you, we have a problem and need your help.’ That made my day. The person saw our company as a problem solver, which of course is what we work hard to be each day. We are always happy to help.”

Visit tfrankmccalls.com.